Tubing arrangement for automatic pneumatic pianos



Oct. 7, 1930. c. F. sroDDARD 1,777,684

TUBING' ARRNGEMENT FOR AUTOMATIC PNEUMTIC PINOS Filed June 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheit @noauto L said tubing in such manner that it sha Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITI-:Dv STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES r. sronDAnn, or NEW Yom, Ny., AssIGNoRy'ro AMERICAN PIANO oon- PANY, or NEW Yoan, N. Y., A conronArIoN or NEW JERSEY 4 TUBING ARRANGEMENT Eon AUTOMATIC PNEUMArIc rrANos `Applicatrion'flled .Tune 4, 1927. Serial No. 196,407.

This invention relates to automatic pneumatic pianos and pertains more particularly to arrangements for effecting pneumatic communication between the sliding drawer and pneumatic stack of such pianos.

In pneumatic pianos, and more particularly, in grand pianos, it 1s customary to place the pneumatic stack, comprising the striker pneumatics and their controllingvalves, in the body of the piano in position for connection to the hammer actuating mechanisms, while the tracker bar, the note sheet rolls', the motor which drives said rolls and other accessory controlling mechanisms are-frequently placed in a drawerrmounted to slide beneath the keybed of the piano. Thus when it is desired to insert or remove a note sheet, the drawer may be pulled forward from beneath the keybed, but during the playing of the selection, or when the piano is not in use or when it is being played manually, the drawer may be pushed back under the keybed.

In order to provide pneumatic communication between the vents of the tracker bar and the various units of the pneumatic stack, flexible tubing is frequently used, but due to the severe and re eated bending to which it is subjected, suc tubing deteriorates rapidly, particularly at oints where the bending is pronounced, an needs frequent replacement. It is an object of this invention to provide composite tubing comprising alternate sections of flexible and non-flexible material, the said non-flexible sections being shaped to prothe said flexible sections being connected thereto in a manner to permit the drawer to be moved in and out without excessive bending thereof. It is also an object to support l not be visible in either position of the drawer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the drawer under the keybed, Figure 2 is a similar view showing the drawer in its open position, Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, and Figure 4 is a detail View showing the connect-ion of the tubes to the drawer. Figure 5 is a detail view showing afconnection to thel key bed, and Figures 6 a-nd 7 are detail views of the bent nipples.

Referring to the drawings, the drawer iskr slidablymounted beneath thekeybed 2 and maybe supported on the rollersB` and 4 in the usual manner, The drawer contains lthe usual'tracker bar (not shown) and connected to thev usual metal tube leading from each vent of the tracker bar isa rubber -tube 5 which is connected to a seriesof nipples 6v preferably of metal which ass through vthe partition 7 ,at theback of t e drawer. Connected toeachof the nipples 6 is a flexible ytube 8 preferably of rubber which in turn is connected through the flexible tubes 9y and 10 to the nipple 12, preferably .of metal, whichV is lixedto the keybed of the pianoby means of the bar 13. f

Between the .flexible tubes 8 and L9 and conl necting the sameare a series of bent nipples 14.- preferably of metal, which pass through and are rigidly attached, as by'soldering, to

the bar 15. Similarly, between the flexible tubesf9 and l0 is located a similar series of` bent .nipplesf14 also preferably of metal which arev rigidly connected and held to ;etherv by the bark15. The bars l-and 15 have no connectionV whatever with eitherv the v drawer or lthe pianocasing and receive no support therefrom, but due to theshape and' arrangement of Athe nipples-14 and 14', the

rubber tubingis caused yto assume a -zigzagY conformation which. prevents it from sagging,

beneath the A'drawer so astoj become visible. Connec'tedtoeach of the nipples 12 is a tube 17 which is-.also connected to the nipples 18 which pass, throughthe partition 19 for connectionto the valve units ofthe pneumatic stack.

Thusthere provided beneaththe nipples 'loA ' said nipples being bent to maintain a zigzag sections of much of the bending to which they would otherwise be subjected, the bends in the flexible sections being relatively easy curves in both positions. n

It will also be observed that due to the arrangement disclosed in Figure l whereby iny the closed position of the drawer the nippleV 6 is located substantially in the same transverse vertical plane as the nipple l2, and whereby, in effect the folds of tubing are telescoped one over another the`V` drawer is permitted considerable travel from closed to open position without undue bending of the flexible sections of the tubes. Due to thestiffness imparted to the rubber tubing by the bent nipple insertions and bythe connecting bars, the zigzag folds in which the tubing is originally arranged are retained in all positions of the drawer and the tubing is supported above the level of the bottom kof the drawer so ythat it is not visible from the'outside. A Y y It will be understood that the invention may be' variously modified and embodied within the scope'of the subjoined claims.

l I clainras my invention:

1'. In an automatic pneumatic piano havin g a slidable drawer and a pneumatic stack, a plurality of flexible tubes affording pneumatic communication between said drawer andstack, and means forming partof said tubes for maintaining a zigzag conformation thereof at all times. I Y

,Q In an automatic pneumatic piano having a slidable drawer and a pneumatic stack, a plurality of flexible tubes affording pneumatic communication between said drawer and stack, and means providing internal support for said tubes adapted to maintain a predetermined conformation therein limiting sagging thereof.

3. In an automatic pneumatic piano having a slidable drawer yand a pneumatic stack, a`

plurality of tubes affording pneumatic communication between said drawer and stack,

' said tubes each comprising flexible sections and non-flexible sections, the non-flexible section being bent to maintain a zigzag conformation in said tubes at all times.

4. In an automatic pneumatic piano having a slidable drawer and a pneumatic stack,

a plurality of tubes affording pneumatic communication between said drawer and stack, .said tubes each comprising flexible sections and non-flexible bent nipples, the

conformation in said tubes at all times.

5.` In an automatic pneumatic piano having a slidable drawer and a pneumatic stack,

1. a plurality of tubes affording pneumatic communication between said drawer and stack, said tubes each comprising flexible sections and non-iexible sections, the non-flexible sections being bent to maintain a zigzag con- 1formation in said tubes at all times, and

kMay, 1927.

said nipples being bent to maintain a zigzag conformation vin saidtubes at alltimes, and

means to rigidly'connect said nipples.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specicationthis-QOth day of CHAR- LES F. STODDARD.

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